Lokeren cross delivers shocks: Nieuwenhuis flips X2O standings after Nys-drama, Brand wins again

Joris Nieuwenhuis turned the X2O Trophy on its head in Lokeren, soloing to a commanding win while pre-race favourite Thibau Nys endured a nightmare afternoon. After a cautious opening, the Dutchman surged clear midway through the Rapencross and steadily widened the gap as mistakes and mechanical issues mounted behind.

Michael Vanthourenhout chased in vain to take second, with Niels Vandeputte rounding out the podium. With Nys finishing well down after repeated bike changes and a crash, Nieuwenhuis vaulted from eighth to first in the overall time-based classification in a single day.

Nys’ day unravelled early. Held up after the start, the European champion tried to move forward only to be stung by repeated pit-lane issues; visible frustration followed, and later a tumble in the sand compounded the damage.

Even as Nys regrouped, Nieuwenhuis kept pressing, riding an unflustered tempo that broke Vanthourenhout’s resistance and left the rest conceding close to a minute or more. The Dutchman’s emphatic turnaround—less than 24 hours after losing 2:38 to Nys on the Koppenberg.

In sharp contrast to her Koppenberg slugfest 24 hours earlier, Lucinda Brand controlled the women’s race on the slick Park ter Beuken circuit. The Dutch rider from Baloise Glowi Lions bided her time in a five-rider lead group before punching clear on lap five.

Behind, Sara Casasola crashed on the sand, and the fight for the minor places opened up; Marion Norbert Riberolle proved strongest of the chasers, with Aniek van Alphen and Casasola in close attendance.

Brand’s victory extends her early lead in the X2O Trophy standings after also winning Saturday’s opener in Oudenaarde. With Fem van Empel sidelined through illness after her early DNF in Oudenaarde, Brand capitalised to stack more seconds in the time-based series and underline the form shown on the Koppenberg.